If you want to get rid of lines and wrinkles on your face, there are a few treatments you could try. One of the most popular is botox. Botox is injected into the area to help remove the wrinkles or fine lines.
The amount of botox used and the cost are measured in units. So how many units of botox for the forehead should you use?
The number of units used would vary depending on the patient. But usually, it takes about 20 units for the forehead lines and another 20 units for the frown lines. Both of these are found on your forehead.
Even if that is the usual number of units, there will be some variation of course. Let’s talk more about botox for lines and wrinkles.
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What Is Botox, Exactly?
Botox is a product that will slightly paralyze or weaken the muscles when used in small amounts. This is used for cosmetic treatments to help get rid of wrinkles on the skin.
Botox comes from the Botulinum toxin, which is produced by Clostridium botulinum. This toxin also causes botulism. However, when used in small doses and correctly by professionals, it safely helps with aesthetics or for medical purposes.
In the cosmetic industry, it is used to help get rid of the lines and wrinkles on the face. It can also help medically and is approved by the FDA for use in migraine, excessive sweating, eyelid spasm, and many others.
Cosmetic Use Of Botox
Botox can be used for medical reasons but for today, let’s focus first on how it could be used for cosmetic reasons.
The main function of botox treatment is to help lessen the appearance of wrinkles. Botox treatments are widely known for this function and have been used for it all over the world.
Although the Botox treatment is effective at fighting wrinkles from appearing, the results aren’t permanent. Usually, the results last for about 3 months to 12 months depending on what you are using it for.
The longer you’ve been using botox, the longer it will last each treatment.
Botox can be used on a variety of areas on the face. First of all, it can be used to treat the wrinkles found between the eyebrows. These are also known as your frown lines.
Apart from that, it can also be used in another area in the forehead that has horizontal creases.
It is also quite effective in treating the wrinkles that are around the eyes, these are also known as crow’s feet. The lines or wrinkles that you’ll find in the corner of your mouth can also be removed with it.
Although they can be used in a variety of areas around the face, Botox is currently approved by the FDA for use on the forehead and around the eyes only.
How Many Units Of Botox For the Forehead?
No matter where you get your Botox done, the quantity used will be measured by the number of units that injected.
We’ve mentioned earlier that on average, it could take 20 units of Botox for the different areas of your forehead to be treated. If you are going to treat the entire forehead, it will take 40 units on average.
That number can either go up or down depending on the condition of your skin. For the forehead lines, it could go as low as 15 to as high as 30 units. If you are younger and have less to work on, then you can expect fewer units to use.
For the frown lines, or some might call the 11 lines that appear in between the eyebrows, it could take more units, even up to 40 units can be used in that certain area.
If you are going to treat the entire forehead, it will take 40 units on average.
Most of those who need more units used in this area are male clients. That’s because males usually have strong muscles in the area and would need more units to be effective.
Sorry boys!
Regardless, your certified aesthetician is the best to ask if you want an estimate on how many units of Botox should be used on your forehead.
For first-time clients, many professionals suggest that less is more. You can always have more injected in the follow-up session if it is needed.
Usually, the follow-up session happens two weeks after the treatment is done. That’s because that is also the time when the peak results of the Botox treatment are observed.
At that time, the cosmetic professional can assess whether you need more in the area or if the treatment is going well.
How Does Botox Work For Wrinkles?
It has been known that Botox works well for wrinkles but do you know exactly how that works?
Wrinkles and fine lines may be treated with a variety of skincare products like creams, moisturizers, and many other topical agents like retin-A and retinol. However, if you find that those don’t get you the results you want, you may want to try Botox.
The reason why Botox treatment works is because of the botulinum toxin in it. This is a neurotoxin that paralyzes the muscles in the injection area.
Naturally, the muscles in our faces are constantly moving, whether you are doing it on purpose or aren’t really aware of it.
Whenever you make expressions, squint your eyebrows or just do any motion, there are lines and wrinkles that are created known as dynamic wrinkles.
Due to the action of the botulinum toxin, those muscles are relaxed.
Unlike what most people believe, Botox doesn’t actually remove the wrinkles.
The wrinkles appear to disappear because the muscles that cause them are relaxed due to Botox. This prevents them from contracting. You could say that those muscles are paralyzed temporarily.
Wrinkles that are caused by the movement of the muscles are called dynamic wrinkles. This is the type of wrinkles that Botox could be of good use.
On the other hand, there are also static wrinkles. These are the ones that form simply because the skin has less amount of collagen and elastin.
There are many different causes of the decrease in the amount of those but they could also be simply due to aging skin.
When that happens, the skin becomes thin and dry. Aside from making wrinkles visible, it could also look like your skin has lost volume.
In such a case, it would be better to use fillers like hyaluronic acid instead of Botox because they can help lessen the appearance of static wrinkles.
How Often Should I Have Botox On Forehead?
As we’ve discussed, Botox doesn’t make the wrinkles disappear, but it controls the muscles that cause them to appear. As such, we can consider using Botox treatments to prevent further wrinkles.
The frequency of how often you should get it done will depend on your age, the wrinkles you already have, and how effective the procedure is for you.
Different people may react differently when it comes to Botox use. The frequency of application varies by person. And as mentioned above, the longer you’ve been doing treatments, the longer each treatment will last.
On average, Botox results could last for up to 4 months. From that time, you can gradually see that your wrinkles are appearing again.
Those who are quite young, in their twenties, are great candidates for having Botox as a preventative treatment for wrinkles. If you are one, you can certainly have them every 12 weeks.
The professional cosmetologist may also be able to tell you about a schedule that will be right for you because they can assess your skin condition.
Others may also get regular Botox injections to maintain the results every 4 months. Some may also go for Botox twice a year and that could be enough for their wrinkles.
Risks And Side Effects Of Botox On Forehead
Although the Botox treatment procedure doesn’t take a long time, it doesn’t mean that you should just have it done by anyone! Back-ally neurotoxins are a bad idea.
It is still best to go to a reliable professional with this kind of treatment.
Botox injections for the forehead are currently approved by the FDA. It is safe to use for either the short term or the long term.
Furthermore, you won’t suddenly develop more wrinkles if you used to use Botox injections and then suddenly stopped using them. You’ll just end up with the wrinkles you previously had before the procedure.
However, as a result of not using Botox, your muscles that contract and form the wrinkles will continue to do so. That can lead you to develop more wrinkles as time goes by. The natural process of wrinkle formation just continues.
Botox can be used not only for wrinkles but also for a variety of conditions. When Botox is used for cosmetic reasons, only a very small amount is used as compared to when it is used for other treatment procedures.